Ulf Elman

Statistics

About

I'm an ornithologist since many years and I've always focussed more on bird sounds than bird watching, but started recording only recently. I'm particularly interested in mimicking birds, and my favourites are Marsh warbler, Bluethroat and Blyth's reed warbler. Presently, I'm trying to identify African birds being mimicked by Marsh warblers I've recorded but it seems to be a hard nut to crack and any input from other ornithologists would be appreciated! The particular recordings that I would like others to give comments on are collected in Set 3341
. You may find my acheivements so far on http://www.sensice.com/marshwarbler. Identifiying Indian birds mimicked by Bluethroat and Blyth's reed warbler will be my next project.

The Loon (Gavia arctica) goes into full call at 01:44 and then flies across view from right to left at 02:31. The original question was what the call at 00:02 is and it has now been identified as an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). It is similar to the call in XC348476. Recorded near lake in area primarily covered by coniferous forests.

Various pig like screams and grunts. Note that the grunts sit in the frequency interval 200-400Hz and this is beyond most computer loudspeakers, so use headphones or HiFi equipment. Some of the calls are duets (00:00, 01:47), with one bird grunting and the other screaming, while others come from a single bird (01:00, 03:01). Flight calls at 01:39, 02:08. The sound of creaking branches come from Magpies. Same recording site as XC364554.

The moaning call at 00:00 and the drumming call at 00:35 were heard from exactly the same direction, and the moaning call is a well known Water rail call. The same drumming call is also heard in XC410817 and XC410819.

The sound sits in the interval 200-500Hz, so almost nothing is heard if this recording is played using the loudspeakers of a typical computer

The drumming sound was heard on a number of occasions during the morning on a number of different places. As far as I could tell it did each time and on each place it was heard come from the same direction as one of the several places where a Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) had just been heard or was heard shortly later. I've never heard anything like it in nature or in any recordings of Water rail. Sounds almost mechanical, like beating on a drum, or a bit frog-like. Is anyone aware of any recordings of a similar call? Is it a Water rail? The same call is also heard in XC410819.

The sound sits in the interval 200-500Hz, so almost nothing is heard if this recording is played using the loudspeakers of a typical computer, so I'd suggest using better equipment.

A group of rails responding to each other. Various entertaining grunts and pig screams (sharming)! Notice that the grunts reach as far down as 200Hz, so computer loudspeakers often don't reproduce these sounds at all and even headphones aren't that good at these low frequencies.

Pig like screams and grunts. Note that the grunts sit in the frequency interval 200-400Hz and this is beyond most computer loudspeakers, so use headphones or HiFi equipment. SNR ≤33dB. Same recording site as XC364530.

The call comes intermittently with bouts starting at 01:21 and 00:08. Initially thought to be an unidentified mammal, but Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) has been suggested. The general character of each individual call is reminiscent of Moorhen, but I've been unable to find a record of similar call sequences. Recorded in farmland from a bridge across a ditch overgrown with reeds and with little open water surface left, but the sound came from tall herbs and grasses nearby.